Accounts of the Nameless Pharaoh
by butterflybg
Summary: Little is know about the real story of Atem sealing Zorc into the Millennium Pyramid. Some believe that he lived 7 days with Zorc trapped in the pendant, tormenting and possessing Atem. What will his country do when dealing with a king suffering from manipulation by Zorc? To what lengths will Atem go to rid himself of this evil? Rating may change to M. Vaseshipping
1. The Sealing

AN: Before any one of my followers gets mad at me, please read my profile bio. I promise to soon finish my stories that you have all waited for years for. As for new readers and old, welcome. This is my first Egypt based story, so this should be interesting. I apologize if the names are spelled differently than what the fanfiction community is used to. I adopted these names for specific reasons. If it bugs you, feel free to message me for a copy of the story so you can personally change the names to a more suitable format. Also, I hope I got to format of this document loader right. I double spaced in between, but it still looked funny.

Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' but a car. All thanks to Kazuki Takahashi.

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 _"...and so I banish thee from this world... and imprison thy soul into the confinements of the pyramid that I hold in my hands..."_

It was a risky spell for the pharaoh to do: a soul-sealing spell on a being as powerful as Zorc could very well kill the young man; however, after the destruction that Zorc and Bakura had dealt to Atem's kingdom and his people, it was a necessary risk.

As Atem looked on, Zorc's form was decaying, literally, melting before Atem's eyes. The dark, shadowy giant was finally weakened after all of their futile efforts. Not only was he weakened, he was groaning in pain. Only moments ago, the sky was engulfed by Zorc's presence, and now the baby blue tint was beginning to peak its light from behind the darkness. All of the shadows and darkness were fading and being drawn toward the Millennium Pyramid in Atem's hands.

As Zorc's soul fused with the golden pyramid, Atem's soul threatened to leave his own body. Digging his feet into the crumbly sand beneath his feet, he attempted to stabilize his body and keep control of the immense power that was being sucked into the relic. With every passing second, Atem felt that his heart was being torn from his chest; a nauseating sensation washed over him as the evil began to seep into every crevice of his soul. Pain shot up every nerve of his body. He imagined that each of his limbs were individually being pulled from his body. Was this what death was like? No, he was not dying, Zorc was beginning to inhabit the pyramid, which was one with Atem's soul. Hatred and the evil now emanated from his pendant. This was easily the worst feeling he had ever endured, and he did not know if he could handle it for another second. Surely, this was what death felt like. All of his senses but his sight had gone numb, leaving him with a deaf, empty feeling as he watched the remnants of the creature disintegrate, and the full impact of its contempt for Atem was absorbed by the Millennium Pyramid.

Then the sun returned to the skies and its rays hit his face once again. He felt the warmth on his bronze skin—this was the first evidence that Zorc had been vanquished. A boisterous cheer came from the people behind him, indicating that his hearing had been restored. All of the witnesses of the battle still had hope for the young king to revive peace from the wicked being. Now that Zorc's form had vanished and the bright sun reclaimed its rightful place amongst the clouds, peace was revived, and the people of his kingdom could celebrate once again.

" _My pharaoh..._ " Atem recognized the voice of the man who was Atem's rival, friend, and cousin. Seto was approaching, followed by Isis and Mana and a few of Egypt's soldiers. All of them were fortunate to have survived, but they felt most fortunate that their king had survived. "Pharaoh, are you alright?" Seto asked sincerely.

Atem barely nodded his head as a response.

Mana, who was the only one fearless enough to approach the pharaoh without his permission, ran to his side. Her face glowed with her signature smile, showing that she was grateful to see her best friend standing victoriously. "You did it, you saved us!" She cheered. "The people are at peace."

Her words had no bearings on Atem, because it did not feel right to be happy yet.

From afar, Isis understood why Atem could not be as joyful as Mana. They had seen many of their comrades and friends die in battle, sacrificing their lives for the well-being of Egypt. _Mahaad..._ she thought to herself. _You can rest now._

Barely standing, Atem let himself remember everyone who had lost their lives, silently thanking them for their bravery.

"My Pharaoh..." Isis' soft voice caught his attention, "Mahaad, Shimon, Shada, and Karim fought nobly, and will be rewarded in the afterlife. For now, I think they would want us to celebrate, knowing that their sacrifices were not made in vain."

He looked up at the taller woman, meeting her eyes with his intense, violet eyes that were full of uncertainty. Then, Mana piped in again and said, "Yeah Prince, come on, you deserve a feast! We should throw a huge banquet in the palace in your honor and in honor of everyone who fought beside you."

Though Atem was not yet ready to move past his mourn, his face showed a bit of a smile to his companion, and he replied, "Alright. A banquet it is."

Isis smiled and Mana let out a joyous "Hooray" along with an excited leap in the air.

Seto stood sternly, as he usually did. No, he was not in any mood to celebrate. Not only had his father and trusted mentor caused all of this, but the woman that he loved payed her life to save Seto's at the hand of his own father. No, he did not see a silver lining in the defeat of Zorc the way Mana had.

Isis approached Seto, placing a firm, understanding hand on his shoulder. His face turned to meet hers, curiously. When Seto made eye contact with Isis, she simply nodded, showing that she sympathized with him for the loss of his loved one. Seto simply turned his gaze away and brushed her off, not willing to connect to any other individual at the moment, even if they were suffering a similar tragedy.

Watching the exchange, Atem thought it was best that he lead by example and encourage these brave priests to celebrate the country's victory over the darkness that almost swallowed them all. As Atem was about to take a step forward, his leg stumbled under his weight and his whole body collapsed into the sandy desert. " _Pharaoh!_ " Mana called out in panic and immediately dropped to her knees by his side. When he failed to respond, she nudged him. Still, he did not make a move to signify that he was alright. Mana called out to him again. "Come on, _please_ get up!"

Isis also took a knee beside her king and examined his motionless body. As she gently turned him onto his back, her hands pressed his stomach and chest. "He is warm..." She said out loud. Mana's worried expression stayed focused on him, hoping that he would open his eyes and smile at her, telling her that he was just faking and that he was fine. Isis smiled to Mana and said, "He will be alright. He is just fatigued from the battle. I suspect he may need healing, if you are up for it."

Mana nodded, but she did not look relieved by those words.

Seto turned to the guards and ordered, "Get the pharaoh to the palace!" And so they carried out their commands, lifting Atem's unconscious form up out of the sand and toward the palace. The rest of them followed closely behind, Mana never taking her eyes off of Atem.

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AN: Well, this was written years ago. I have more ready, if people respond positively to this chapter. Yes, I know that nothing new happens that most Yu-Gi-Oh fans are not already aware of. I'm just setting up the premise. More to come soon. Anyways, review please and tell me your honest opinion. This website has changed so much since I have last posted anything, so I am not as keen to author etiquette anymore.


	2. Far From Ordinary

AN: Hello, I hope I was able to update quick enough for y'all. It's been a hard week, so it's nice to get back to my roots and do what really makes me happy. Hopefully this chapter will be meaty enough for everyone. I know last chapter was barely a teaser. These were written years ago, and so I've been improving them slowly over time. Hopefully you all can enjoy my writing style, because the truth is, it's probably boring. I've read it so many times that I don't know if it's good anymore. Let me know what more you want to see in this story. I have it mapped out in my head til the end, but I still have more to write, so I am open to suggestions.

Warning, this story literally has ZERO happy moments, from what I can tell. I mean, it's pretty dark and depressing, with absolutely no happy breaks. I mean, I guess a good writer should be sure to include ups and downs, like happy moments as well as tragic ones. I never claimed to be a good writer though, or even a decent one, so you have been fairly warned. I don't know why I write such depressing stuff.

Also, " ** _this means that Zorc is talking"_** although I never bothered to say it in the story. It was meant to be a mystery like, who is talking? But it's also supposed to be obviously not a mystery. Thought I'd clarify.

Disclaimer: Kazuki Takahashi is the gifted, talented, brilliant creator of Yu-Gi-Oh, not myself, for I am none of those things. I am simply borrowing the concept from him as a fan appreciation artwork. All thanks go to Kaz.

Enjoy!

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 ** _"Mortal... what kind of fool are you to think that you could put an end to my terror so easily?"_**

" _You may be powerful, but you are helpless! I have sealed you away where you cannot hurt anyone."_

 ** _"Heh, heh, heh..."_** He laughed menacingly with his deep, gravelly voice. **_"You may have prevented me from killing your people, but I am far from helpless. Before the sun dies in seven days, your blood will stain the sands of Egypt, whether by my hand, or your own!"_**

 _"You are bluffing. That is impossible!"_

 ** _"What is impossible is to keep me locked away in your little toy. It is no bluff—your death is quickly approaching. Until then... I will make you wish you were dead..."_**

Atem's eyes shot open he jolted up from his bed, gasping for air. With a racing heart and intense breathing, he looked down at his trembling hands. His palms were coated in sweat and more sweat dripped down the sides of his face. _Was that all a dream?_ Hanging from the rope around his neck was the millennium pyramid. It was a powerful device—the most powerful item that Atem knew of to seal Zorc's soul into. It was not a victory, but it bought him time to find a way to defeat Zorc for good. Maybe someday, he will be strong enough to defeat the wicked beast all on his own. Until then, Atem had to hang onto it to make sure that Zorc remained safely confined within.

He let his millennium item drop down to his bare stomach. Looking around, he wondered how he ended up in his bed in his own chambers. From the dimming rays that passed through his balcony entrance, he could see that the sun was hanging low, ready to set. Lamps were already burning in his room, providing a low lighting that he adjusted to at night. His room was barely visible now, as it usually was when the day was winding down. His eyes made their way to his bed, where he could somewhat make out Mana's form. She was fast asleep with her head on her arms; she must have been sitting by the side of his bed, waiting for him to wake up and dozed off.

A genuine smile graced the handsome, young pharaoh's features. She was sort of his weakness and could always put a smile on his face. Looking down at her soft, sleeping expression, his heart ached and sighed with joy at having her by his side. Gently, he poked her in the arms with intentions of waking her up. It was not easy though—she was a stubborn sleeper. Eventually, she moaned and grumbled awake, sounding somewhat irritated with whomever disturbed her rest. With a smirk, Atem leaned down and murmured into her ear, "Mana, wake up!" Then her head shot up out of her arms.

"Huh?!" She sounded surprised to hear Atem's voice, "Prince...?" For a moment, she was trying to convince herself that she was not dreaming. When her eyes adjusted to the dull lighting in the room, she was able to identify him from his perfectly chiseled features and his striking eyes. When his cocky smirk became apparent her, she was convinced. "Prince!" She leapt up from her chair and threw her arms around the king. "Oh, you scared me so much!" Her small arms fully embraced his small but muscular frame, tightly holding him. It must have been forever since she was last able to hold him like this. As the moment was settling in Mana's head, his presence became more and more real to her: his soft, warm skin, his shapely arms, his toned chest and back, and his intoxicating aroma. As Mana took a deep, calming breath, she picked up the scent of his delightfully manly perfume. She noted that he always smelled of roses from the oils he used, but on his skin, it had a slightly different and even musky scent.

Atem chuckled and wrapped his strong arms around the girl. "I am sorry," he mumbled into her messy, dark hair.

Not able to contain her happiness, she pulled back with a smile and replied, "Why?" Her eyes aquamarine eyes were staring back into his deep, violet ones, searching for the answer.

"For worrying you," he simply replied, "I did not mean to."

"Oh, right." Mana began to realize that she was holding him affectionately while his bare chest was exposed to her. There were few times when Mana was actually embarrassed, but as she looked down at his perfect form, she blushed and let the embarrassment sink in. She saw his eyes staring into hers curiously, probably noticing what she had done. Her face became warm as blood rushed to her cheeks, so she gently pulled away and took a seat on his bed across from him, blushing at the appearance of his toned chest. Timidly tucking some of her messy brown hair behind one ear, she said to him, "Sorry."

Atem did not seem to flinch—he was always so cool and collected. Instead, his smirk seemed to sharpen as he replied to her confidently, "It is alright."

Had he noticed what she had done? Her heart skipped in her chest as she dug her fingernails into his silk bed sheets nervously and said, "Well, you do not need to be sorry either. I always worry about you. The thought of losing you just scares me so much."

Atem simply looked into her eyes and blurted, "You will not lose me."

Knowing that he really was alright allowed Mana to relax in his presence. "Good!" She grinned and punched him playfully in the arm, "If you scare me like that again, then I will chase you up and down the Nile, mister. Do not think otherwise!"

Atem chuckled in his baritone voice, "Mana, I am your pharaoh. I serve to protect you no matter what."

"Nope!" She perked right up; the elevation of her excitement levels caught Atem off-guard. "Actually, I am the next in line to take the millennium ring." She winked at him, "I will be protecting _you_ for a change."

Atem's eyes widened in shock and he replied skeptically, " _What_?" He failed to keep up his reserved composure. "Did you just say that _you_ are inheriting the millennium ring?" Those who held the millennium items were always so stern and she was the complete opposite. _Will you become like Mahaad now?_ He sighed remember that Mahaad had always been serious, but that becoming the owner of the millennium ring had caused him to shut everyone out. It was hard enough losing Mahaad, and now Mahaad was gone for good, but losing Mana would be more than Atem could handle. _I do not want her to change._

"Yep!" She grinned. "How do ya' like me now?"

Dismissing his previous thoughts, he forced a smile, shrugged and replied, "The same, I guess."

The change in Atem's demeanor was obvious to Mana. "Do you not think that I should wield one of the sacred items, Prince? You know that I would always serve to protect you. Maybe most people do not take me seriously, but I thought that you would."

Atem's smile was more genuine this time, but not full of content. "Mana, I know that you can be taken seriously when you want to."

Mana relaxed, "Good, because I _am_ serious about this! I have been training all of my life. Did you even notice that I healed all of your wounds?"

Looking down at his flesh where his wounds had been, he discovered that she was right—each of them were healed. "Wow." he noted that his body did not feel any pain at all. He gazed back at her and smiled, "Thank you, Mana."

"No sweat! I _am_ Egypt's top magician after all." The words fell right out of her mouth without realization. However, when she realized it, the sorrow was written all over her face.

"That is right," he trailed off. Seeing the look of devastation on Mana's face made losing Mahaad so much worse. "You were next to take that position from..."

"Yeah," she agreed before Atem could say the name, but her usual cheerful air was gone. "I know..." It was too hard for her to think about Mahaad. She was not strong enough yet to accept that she would have to wake up every day without having Mahaad to teach her.

"Mana, I am so sorry," his grieving tone was somewhat comforting to Mana.

Though she could not hide the tears she wanted to shed for her master, Mana decided to be strong. Wiping away the tiniest bit of water that leaked from her eyes, she smiled to her best friend once more, "It is alright. Things are will be different from now on. Without him, life will feel weird but," she sniffled, no longer able to hold back her emotions. Again, she threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, "... _but I am so glad you are okay. I just do not know what I would do without you!_ "

Mana's tiny sobs grew more and more intense as she wept onto his shoulder, shaking feverishly in his arms. He simply held her there, embracing her, trying his best to comfort her. His head rested against her soft, but messy hair as he spoke gently to her, "You must have been really worried for me."

Her head nodded against him, "...you have _no idea_!" She tightened her arms around his neck, silently wishing that she never had to part from him.

Atem began to stroke her hair affectionately. Thanks to Atem's birthrights, there were few people that he could be close to in this way, and now it seemed that Mana was the last one of them. So he treasured the few moments he had with her. Even though they had a heavy weight on their hearts, at least these moments could help them work through it. Atem knew it could not last much longer, and he would not have the opportunity to be with her like this often enough.

 _Knock Knock_

Atem's heart sank and his attention turned to the door, seeing that Isis was standing in the entryway. "Enter," he said flatly to her. Slowly, Mana pulled her arms away from him awkwardly, not sure how Isis would respond.

"My king," Isis offered a small bow, "The kitchen staff is preparing a feast in the dining hall, just as you had requested. You must be famished."

Atem felt his stomach twisting in knots over having eaten nothing all day. In spite of his discomfort, he was not yet willing to leave Mana, especially when she needed him. "Of course, I will be right down. Please, excuse us for a few more moments, I just want to spend some time with her."

Isis nodded, but then Mana said, "No, pharaoh, it is fine." On her face, she showed a weak smile, "You should replenish your body, you need all the nutrients you can obtain." With the road that was ahead of Mana, she knew that she would have to learn to be strong, even in the face of losing her loved ones. She should not rely on Atem for strength—she would have rely on herself. Plus, putting Atem first would be her duty, and that includes his health.

He thought that Mana still needed to mourn. She was not back to her usual, bouncy self, based on her tone and mannerisms. "Mana, are you sure?"

"Yes." She nodded, offering a convincing smile, "I promise, I am feeling great."

After debating the situation in his head for a bit, not sure whether he should take Mana's word for it, he finally nodded. Then he turned to Isis, "Never mind then, we will be on our way."

Again, Isis bowed and left to relay the message to the palace staff.

When Isis was gone, Atem stood up from his bed to dress himself. The two were silent. Maybe they were both quietly acknowledging that Atem could be a demanding king who told Mana what to do, but she was his best friend. He felt no need to

As Atem was preparing the outfit that he planned to wear, Mana also left his bed. With a little bow, she said, "Excuse me, I must get dressed," and took off. Atem thought that was weird, since she never formally addressed him like that. He thought to himself, _whatever!_ Mana was never one who was easily predictable; why would he start trying to understand the methods to her madness now?

Standing before his wardrobe, he felt an energy come from his the millennium pyramid. Atem looked down, and did not notice anything strange about it. It looked normal, but there seemed to be a pulsing surge around it. It was not normal.

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So, like I said, I hope you guys found it enjoyable. I know I have barely scraped the surface of the story. I am sorry if it is such a slow start. I told you it was boring! I should also just go ahead and change the rating of the story because it only gets darker and gory from here on out. I wasn't sure if the content that I had written really qualified as "M" rating, because there will not be any sexual scenes, but there should be extensive amounts of violence, as far as I know. I mean, how violent is "M" rated violence? Anyways, review please if you want me to continue this story and especially if you have a suggestion or critique. I live for them!


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